UK will use anaerobic digestion for power
Nations wanting to go green, are finding ways to dispose of waste while generating energy. The UK Government has made a commitment to back anaerobic digestion, a process that turns organic waste into energy.
Anaerobic digestion is a well proven renewable energy and waste management technology. It produces renewable energy in the form of biogas from organic materials such as manures and slurries, food waste and sewage sludge.
The UK Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs announced a new public/private initiative to use anaerobic digestion more widely. Farming Minister, Jane Kennedy, described the current need for anaerobic digestion this way:
We’re producing more organic waste in this country than we can handle, over 12 million tonnes of food waste a year – and farmers know all too well the challenges of managing manure and slurry.
There are alternatives to sending organic waste to landfill. Anaerobic digestion is a true solution.
This material could produce enough heat and power to run more than two million homes – helping to prevent dangerous climate change by providing a renewable energy source as well as reducing our reliance on landfill.
By using anaerobic digestion, the UK can solve two problems at once. Fewer landfills will be needed. Large quantities of renewable energy can be acquired cheaply. No need for expensive power plants, just recycling old food and manure into power.
The UK government will be funding between three and six demonstration projects showcasing the state-of-the-art use of anaerobic digestion technology and how it can make a significant contribution to achieving a number of cross cutting aims. Further objectives are:
- maximizing the environmental benefits from the use of anaerobic digestion and its products;
- maximizing the potential of anaerobic digestion to reduce the carbon footprint of the food supply chain;
- maximizing the opportunity for the injection of biomethane into the gas grid; and
- maximizing the potential of anaerobic digestion to reduce the carbon footprint of water treatment infrastructure.
WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Program) is conducting the capital grant competition to determine the demonstration projects that will be funded. The winners should be announced this March.
WRAP is also working to develop a market for digestate, which is the treated material produced from anaerobic digestion. Digestate is a good fertilizer and soil conditioner.
Anaerobic digestion would be especially suited for farming communities where animal waste and excess or unsuitable food and plant products are plentiful. If the demonstration programs prove successful, this would be an excellent way for the communities to “cleanup” while powering up.
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